Posts Tagged ‘fiction’

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11.2 Seconds

In Writing on June 8, 2012 at 7:53 am

He spun as he fell, his vision a strobe of dark and light: earthy, textured and shadowed below; bright, blue and smooth above. Except for the blimp, of course, slowly shrinking.

Have a few brews, they said.

Enter the contest, they said.

View of a lifetime, they said!

Well, it had been beautiful. But whose idea was it to stick a bunch of drunks in a tiny room suspended at fifteen hundred feet?

Frankly, it just seemed silly now.

He fell, wondering which of those fat bastards had bumped him — wondering what he’d see when his life finally flashed.

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This story is my response Madison Woods’ Friday Fictioneers prompt (the picture is the prompt). Check out the other stories (including Madison’s) and submit your own on the story page!

Feedback and other stories welcome below! Please feel free to check out some of my other fiction — I love constructive criticism!

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Graden’s Climb

In Writing on June 1, 2012 at 8:15 am

dormant volcano, caldera

Graden began his climb. Up the father-mountain. Up the winter-road.

They were kin, now, he and the mountain, both fierce warriors grown old — once dark-eyed and full of fire, now crowned with snow and whiskered white.

This was his last climb. He felt it in his knees and in the healed fissures of his battle-crushed bones. The pain called his triumphs to memory, but he no longer cared to think of such things.

At the peak, on the mountain’s shoulder, he stared out at the gray sky and vibrant fields below and, stooping, wiped gently the snow from her grave.

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This story is my response Madison Woods’ Friday Fictioneers prompt (the picture, supplied by Doug MacIlroy at ironwoodwind, is the prompt). Check out the other stories (including Madison’s) and submit your own on the story page!

Feedback and other stories welcome below! Please feel free to check out some of my other fiction — I love constructive criticism!

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Five Sentence Fiction: The calm after the storm

In Writing on May 30, 2012 at 10:04 pm

Part I: In search of spoils

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The battle was a blaze in his memory, a single burst of fire, all shrapnel and blood and smoke and noise. Now all was quiet, and the dead were everywhere, some stacked and gathered, others strewn lonely in the field. Somehow the silence beat a rhythm within itself, like the memory of a heart gone still, like drums only almost struck.

Grammar’s forces had moved on, north probably, toward the river and the mill and the stores beneath Pa Conner’s shop. Caleb had glimpsed the map only in passing and only in the uncertain light of the Captain’s low-burned taper, but he had a fair idea of where the men were headed.

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Five Sentence FictionThis is my response to Lillie McFerrin’s Five Sentence Fiction prompt. This week’s prompt: SILENCE. As you can tell, I’ve decided to make a series out of these, continuing the story from last week. If you missed it, give it a read — and be sure to check out all the other responses on Lillie’s blog!

As always, constructive criticism, destructive praise, and general commentary welcome below!

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Julian’s Final Draft

In Writing on May 23, 2012 at 2:11 pm

100 word challenge for grown ups

The flame flickered before the door had even opened, as if some spirit had run ahead to warn of Gael’s approach. When the insolent tongue of fire was still again, the room was nearly silent.

Nearly, for  Gael’s consumptive breaths now rattled in the hallway.

“Is it ready, Julian?”

The voice was weak but impatient, and no less cruel. Julian replaced his quill and gathered his papers from the desk.

“Soon,” he said quietly.

Gael shook his head as the flame writhed once more, announcing another visitor.

“It would be irresponsible to die without a will, Julian,” Gael said.

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This is my response to the 100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups. This week’s prompt: write a piece to include the phrase …The flame flickered before... Follow the link to read the other responses and submit one of your own.

Comments and criticism more than welcome! (That goes for the rest of my fiction, too).

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The Old Bagel Biddy

In Fiction, Writing on May 8, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Im Café

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If there was anything she hated worse than backtalk it was sass, and these little bastards today were full of both, right up to their baby teeth.

The boy kicked his fat little legs against the booster seat.

“Pbbfth,” he said.

Nefarious.

“You’re sure you don’t mind, Batia?”

“Goodness, no, dear. You go ahead — we’ll be fine.”

“Thank you so much.”  Mrs. Dierbach leaned down and kissed her son. “Five minutes, I promise.”

“Take your time.”

Batia settled back into her chair and looked the boy over. He was patting his hands on the table, a line of drool marching unchecked down his chin. Read the rest of this entry »

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Stolen Identities Week: Real life characters

In Writing on May 7, 2012 at 8:04 am
Silhouettes

(Photo credit: dbbent)

When it comes to creating interesting characters, sometimes the best inspiration comes from the people we encounter in our everyday lives.

Not to belittle the writer’s craft, but with quirky mannerisms, notable turns of phrase,  idiosyncrasies and internal contradictions — sometimes real people are just more interesting than the ones we can imagine. Read the rest of this entry »

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Renovations

In Fiction, Writing on May 4, 2012 at 12:53 pm


Standing in that room was like standing inside a giant collapsing lung.  The plastic sheets billowed in from the wooden frame, suffused with pink, organic light, rounded like alveoli by the gusts of a heavy wind.  The sheets cracked like tiny bones fracturing in the pressure of deep water.  Outside, the sea sifted into the pebbles along the shore and sucked at the spaces between the rocks, drowning breaths, though far away and out of sight. Read the rest of this entry »

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Origin Story: My first foray into fiction

In Fiction, Writing on May 4, 2012 at 9:30 am

On a quick trip home yesterday, digging through some boxes in the basement, I came across what may be the first story I ever wrote.

It’s something of an origin story, my own origin story, written when I was seven — and after reading it, it’s amazing my parents didn’t decide to take me to a child psychologist.

Parts of it were too good not to share though, so here it is. I present to you, without corrections (as if any were needed!)…

Adventures on Dipstick Island ! Read the rest of this entry »

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Advice for new bloggers: Keep it up

In Writing on May 2, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Iridium fountain pen nib, macro.

This is a pen. Don’t use it on your computer.

A month ago I started this blog, gave it a name and wrote my first post.

I received an underwhelming four views that first day, and had few hopes I would ever do much better than that. But here I am, still going, and I’m glad to say my initial skepticism has been proven wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

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Short Story Contests: June

In Writing on April 30, 2012 at 2:51 pm

At the beginning of April I put together a list of some of the short story contests you could look forward to entering in May. Now, on this the last day of April,  the first of the May deadlines is upon us, and the final hours are winding down to make your submissions.

However, if you’re not quite ready to submit your story, you’re in luck — because now is also the time for an updated list of contests, this times with deadlines coming up in June! So keep writing and check out your options (and the potential rewards) below!

Read the rest of this entry »